Two semi-natural
side channels have been constructed by DFO. These are highly complexed with large
woody debris but likely have low steelhead production. The Weyerhaeuser Canada
Ltd. Channel is on the south side of the river above the Allsbrook canyon and
the TimberWest Forest Ltd. Channel is on the north side, downstream of the Morison
Creek confluence.

SPECIAL
HABITAT PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS

Reduce
sedimentation from land development in Morison Creek watershed (a major tributary)
and improve public awareness of habitat stewardship needs.

Conduct
a revetment program using re-vegetation techniques for eroding mainstem clay banks.

Extend
the existing Timber West side-channel by 2.5 km at a cost of $200K - FOC-designed
project delayed indefinitely due to development approval problems with the landowner.

NOTES:
Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund watershed - recovery plan completed that covers
all salmonids. Steelhead hatchery program discontinued after operation for about
15 years. Could evaluate organic nutrient enrichment potential, but the regional
district's water intake is within Parksville city limits and below the areas where
nutrients would need to be added.

Reports
and Media:

Land Conservation
on the Englishman River PARKSVILLE - October 24, 2003

Following
the announcement of the purchase and preservation of 432 acres of land (known
as Block 602) from TimberWest on the north side of the Englishman River, Don Krogseth,
Chairman of The Nature Trust of BC, and the Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister
of Water, Land and Air Protection, inspect a Large Woody Debris (LWD) structure
installed adjacent to Block 602 in August 2003. This LWD jam is one of 15 mainstem
restoration sites constructed by the BC Conservation Foundation and funded by
the Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund through the Englishman River Watershed Recovery
Plan, and by the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund.

Please
open PDF below for full announcement
Englishman River (186KB PDF, opens new browswer window)

Until recently
there has been little habitat enhancement directed at steelhead in the Englishman
River watershed. However, in 2000 the Englishman was selected by the Pacific Salmon
Endowment Fund as a "pilot" watershed for recovery of Georgia Basin coho and steelhead.
Subsequently, LGL Ltd. (2001) prepared an Englishman River Watershed Recovery
Plan, details of which can be found at the following website: http://www.psf.ca/04programs/04englishman.html.

The
plan identifies steelhead and coho stock status, habitat capability estimates,
and short and long term recovery strategies for this important east coast Island
watershed. Following detailed channel condition assessments (Northwest Hydraulic
Consultants, 2001; Lough and Morley 2002), habitat restoration prescriptions are
now being prepared for implementation in August 2003. In addition, an in-stream
flow study is underway which should help identify the benefits of water storage
release from the Regional District of Nanaimo's new reservoir at Arrowsmith Lake.
The intent is to develop an operational "rule curve" which can be used to budget
water released from the dam to meet critical fish life-history needs during the
period of "least available" flow (i.e. summer-early fall). Hopefully, an agreement
between the regional district and government fisheries agencies will be in place
prior to the summer of 2003.

Since
1990, DFO has taken the lead in developing side-channels on the Englishman River
primarily for coho, chum and pink salmon (two are now built, restoration site
2 and 3 on watershed overview map). The objective behind the introduction of pinks
was for nutrient enrichment from spawned carcasses, and to provide fry in the
early spring as prey for pre-smolt coho and sea run cutthroat trout (B. Hurst,
former DFO Biologist, pers. comm.). Additional side-channel and alcove sites should
be identified given the volatility of the mainstem during winter floods. A side-channel
project which holds considerable promise for future development is located within
Block 602 on the north bank of the river between Morison Creek and Allsbrook canyon
(downstream of an existing side channel complex). Block 602 is currently owned
by TimberWest Forest Ltd. but is subject to sale being negotiated by The Nature
Trust, in partnership with various public and private interests. If the sale is
completed, the parcel will be used as a major riparian habitat and permanent side-channel
facility for both fish and wildlife conservation purposes.

Another
enhancement strategy which could benefit wild steelhead would be organic enrichment
of the mainstem and South Englishman rivers (restoration reach 4 on watershed
map). Provincial fisheries researchers are currently investigating a new organic
fertilizer product which uses heat-compacted waste from a fish processing plant
in southeast Alaska. These compacted "logs" of pollack (a marine groundfish species),
have a high phosphorus content (6-15-0.4) which is the limiting nutrient to productivity
of most coastal streams in southwest BC. Given the logs are completely organic
(i.e., made of fish), they should be more acceptable for use in watersheds where
drinking water quality is an issue. That said, it would be essential to first
satisfy regional health authorities and other interests that selective use of
this product would not compromise water quality standards in the Englishman River.

This
booklet was designed to assist stream stewardship groups, small community hatcheries
and non-government organizations on Vancouver Island with salmon carcass planting
programs.Section
1 outlines factors that must be considered in deciding if a carcass program
is appropriate and feasible in the target watershed.Section
2 lists contacts and outlines the steps involved in making a proposal.Section
3 describes carcass planting techniques and methodology.

Like other central
east coast streams, the Englishman has experienced a wide range of habitat impacts,
particularly over the last 20-30 years. This has paralleled human population growth
in the Parksville-Qualicum area, and follows intensive logging of the old-growth
forest on private land. Most of the watershed is owned by TimberWest Forest Ltd.,
and Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd., who are now harvesting second-growth stands in the
river valley. In some cases, logged parcels are being sold to developers for new
residential subdivisions administered by the Regional District of Nanaimo.

On
key tributaries like Morison Creek, a "patchwork" of small hobby farms and poor
land use practices (e.g., tilling of peat bogs) have resulted in major sediment
loading of fish habitats. This is literally one of those cases of "death by a
thousand cuts", as fisheries agencies have extreme difficulty in dealing with
a myriad of point sediment sources. Only through effective stream stewardship
can an improved land use ethic be fostered between local neighbours. This obviously
takes time, but should be strongly encouraged through government initiatives like
Streamkeepers and the former Urban Salmon Habitat Program. Other land use issues
like development of large gravel pits and regional district landfills have been
associated with the Englishman River. Fisheries agencies and public "fish advocacy"
groups must continue to deal with these proposals in a strong, coordinated way
to ensure fish habitat protection remains a high priority.

Englishman
River Watershed Adult Assessment

Snorkel
survey counts should only be treated as a relative index of stock abundance.

Snorkel
survey counts should only be treated as a relative index of stock abundance.

An assessment of
potential fish habitat restoration in five east Vancouver Island watersheds, including
the Nanaimo, was completed in 2001 (Gaboury and McCulloch 2002). In-stream works
prescribed in this report focus on restoring habitat thought to limit wild steelhead
production and to mitigate for habitat lost during past forest harvesting. A total
of 51 sites were identified in Haslam Creek, a tributary to the lower Nanaimo
River, for rearing habitat improvements through installation of rock-ballasted
large woody debris (restoration reach 1 on watershed map). Another 60 sites were
identified in Deadwood Creek, locally known as the "North Fork" of the Nanaimo
River. Completion of prescribed works is contingent on funding support for the
Greater Georgia Basin Steelhead Recovery Plan, and the fostering of public/private
partnerships in the watershed, including those with Snuneymuxw First Nation and
farm owners in the Haslam Creek watershed.

There
has been little steelhead habitat restoration to date in the Nanaimo River watershed.
In the early 1980s, several experimental boulder placements occurred in lower
Haslam Creek to improve steelhead rearing habitat. These largely failed due to
bedload deposition in the treated area (G. Reid, Fisheries Section Head, MWLAP,
pers. comm.). Griffith (1992) evaluated side-channel development potential in
the lower Nanaimo River floodplain, downstream of the Island Highway. While some
sites were "flagged" as possible candidates, no actions were taken because of
anticipated high costs. It is recommended that these (and other) sites now be
reassessed, in partnership with DFO's Habitat Restoration Unit. Similarly, ongoing
investigations of fish passage problems in the river's lower canyon (i.e., "Bore
Hole" and "White Rapids") need to be focussed and coordinated between MWLAP and
DFO. A concensus on possible actions like blasting and fishway design must embrace
the needs of all anadromous species relying on upstream spawning and rearing areas.

In
WLAP's Nanaimo River Water Management Plan (1993), a series of recommendations
were made to meet the conservation needs of wild salmon and trout populations.
The plan recommended a preferred range of fisheries (mainly steelhead) maintenance
flows from 3.9-7.9 cms (138-279 cfs or 10-20% of mean annual discharge), with
a target flow of 5.9 cms (208 cfs or 15% mad) for the 35 km section between the
Island Highway bridge and Fourth Lake, when adequate storage was available. If
these flows are provided in most years, then steelhead summer rearing requirements
will be largely met. A study is also underway (2002) to identify potential mitigation
options for the cold, hypolimnetic water releases from the Fourth Lake reservoir
(restoration site2 on watershed map) by Harmac Pulp Operations (a division of
Pope and Talbot Ltd.). This water is required for mill operations near the estuary,
but has the unintended effect of "chilling" flows downstream for several kilometers
(<10°C) below Fourth Lake, impacting summer growth and subsequent survival of
juvenile fish.

Another
potential restoration tool is the use of artificial stream enrichment to increase
rearing habitat productivity. This would be totally dependent on the province
developing and receiving approval to use an organic fertilizer product, like the
compacted pollack referred to previously. The prime area for fertilizer treatment
to benefit steelhead would be from the outlet of First Nanaimo Lake, downstream
to White Rapids in the lower canyon, including lower reaches of the north and
south forks of the Nanaimo River. MWLAP, in conjunction with Trout Unlimited Canada,
have compiled background water chemistry and streamflow data for this section,
so that fertilizer loading rates can be calculated for the late May to August
period. Discussions with regional health officials, other agencies and licenced
water users will be needed prior to implementation of an enrichment project in
future years.

A review of the
effectiveness of MWLAP's Nanaimo River Water Management Plan should be undertaken
by participants from the original plan's drafting committee. This is essential
if the plan's recommendations are to be consistently met, and also to avoid institutional
or administrative problems that might compromise the best use of available water
each year.

Since
much of the Nanaimo River watershed lies within Private Managed Forest Land owned
by TimberWest Forest Ltd. and Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd., periodic audits of logging
practices should be done jointly by MWLAP and Ministry of Forests, in cooperation
with the two companies. There has been a long history of road and hillslope instability
in logged areas of the upper Nanaimo, and these sites are known to cause sediment
transport into lakes and streams inhabited by salmon and trout. Over the last
several years much progress has been made in effectively treating hillslope erosion
problems related to past road and logging developments (Dr. Bob Willington, TimberWest,
pers. comm.).

For
the river's lower reach and tributaries below the Island Highway bridge, encroachments
from urban and industrial activities continue to challenge fish habitat protection
needs. Strong stewardship groups, working closely with government fisheries agencies,
are the best hope for preserving critical habitat for wild fish. Such a process
is currently underway in the Nanaimo River estuary, through the federal government's
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. DFO is taking the lead in the investigation
of environmental impacts from forest industry applications to renew log storage
leases on estuary land.

There have been
no steelhead habitat enhancement projects undertaken in the Chemainus River. This
is regrettable given the river's depleted wild population, and the amount of habitat
potentially available to the species. In part, this relates to the private ownership
of much of the watershed, but there is really no justification for the long delay
in responding to this serious conservation problem.

An
assessment of potential fish habitat restoration projects in five east Vancouver
Island watersheds, including the Chemainus, was completed in 2001 (Gaboury and
McCulloch 2002). In-stream works prescribed in the report focus on developing
habitats thought to limit steelhead production and to mitigate for habitat lost
during past forest harvesting. At total of 52 sites were identified for rearing
habitat complexing, mainly using rock-ballasted large woody debris (restoration
reach 1 on watershed map). Completion of prescribed works is contingent on funding
support for the Steelhead Recovery Plan and the development of public/private
partnerships in the watershed.

While
a comprehensive biophysical inventory would be the best way of identifying additional
habitat restoration options, this would be quite costly unless spread over several
years. Consequently, MWLAP regional staff and provincial Fisheries Research scientists
should immediately begin to assess the feasibility of stream fertilization for
specific mainstem reaches, as well as key tributaries known to support steelhead.
This will involve water chemistry sampling (unless already available), streamflow
analysis and a review of any juvenile steelhead life history and growth data (e.g.,
average smolt age; size at age). Some of this information was collected during
the summer of 1998. Preliminary discussions with other agencies, landowners (forest
companies) and First Nations should also be started to determine the level of
support (or opposition) for the technique. Given the size of the watershed, helicopter
application of a new inorganic, slow-release fertilizer would likely be most cost-effective,
however, the option of using an organic product should also be explored.

Other
steelhead restoration projects could include construction of side-channels and
alcoves to provide more stable over-wintering habitat. DFO's Westholme Channel,
downstream of the Island Highway bridge, is currently the only groundwater-fed
channel on the Chemainus, and it can be affected by seasonally low river flows
and well water extraction for irrigation (M. Sheng, Habitat and Enhancement Biologist,
DFO, pers. comm.). It is therefore crucial that adequate bioengineering precede
development of these types of facilities. Private forest land affecting access
for fisheries restoration could limit the scope of these projects in future.

Another
enhancement proposal for the Chemainus River involves blasting or bypassing the
Copper Canyon falls. This has generally been premised on enhancing salmon species,
without regard to the evolutionary significance of summer steelhead above the
falls. In the past, MWLAP staff have objected to these proposals, and proponents
appear to have accepted hatchery salmon fry out-planting above the falls as an
alternative.

The most significant
habitat protection issue for the Chemainus River remains private land logging
by Weyerhaeuser Canada. Over the last several decades, much of the watershed's
old-growth forest has been logged, and second-growth stands are now being harvested.
Since FPC regulations do not apply to private land, the company is directly responsible
for fish habitat protection. While the public expects forest companies to safeguard
other resource values, there may be less incentive in highly competitive international
markets, especially when BC is a high-cost producer of wood products. Consequently,
MWLAP and Ministry of Forests should schedule audits of the company's performance,
particularly with respect to environmental impacts.

A
second habitat protection concern is related to urban and agricultural effects
on the lower river, downstream of the Island Highway. In the past, this reach
has been seriously impacted by bedload deposition, flood control and minimal summer
flows. Moreover, it is unlikely that any of these persistent problems will be
solved in the near future. Consequently, the value of this area to wild steelhead
production remains in doubt.

A
third habitat protection concern for the Chemainus relates to past and ongoing
mining activity. There has been a long history of copper and zinc mining in the
watershed dating back to the turn of the century. Three abandoned mines on Mount
Sicker have been linked to acid rock drainage problems, and a new placer operation
(near Copper Canyon) is now proceeding through the government's inter-agency review
(G. Carriere, Regional Inspector of Mines, Ministry of Employment and Investment,
pers. comm.). There is also some current exploration on the old Laramide property
in the headwaters of Solly Creek, a Chemainus River tributary. MWLAP's pollution
prevention staff have monitored water quality downstream of the Mount Sicker mine
properties, and presently consider the threat of acid rock drainage to Chemainus
River fish stocks as low (J. Deniseger, Impact Assessment Biologist, MWLAP, pers.
comm.; Martell 1995). That said, MWLAP staff (fisheries, pollution prevention)
must work closely with provincial mines inspectors to ensure that environmental
standards are met in all mining exploration and developments in the Chemainus
watershed.